Austin Teachers Need More Money

We figure it is a given that everyone knows that teacher pay is pretty piddly. On the same day that we read about a young local teacher who got WAY too involved with one of her students (not really related, but still noteworthy), we see that a task force has told AISD to raise the pay of veteran teachers:

Trustees should give teachers an average 5.5 percent raise next school year that includes a salary step increase and a 4 percent raise the following year just to put Austin salaries on par with the district's major competitors — the Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hays school districts, the task force said.

"Indeed, the district has put itself in a potentially devastating position in terms of salary," the report says. "If the gaps continue to grow, the district could face much more difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers, especially . . . the most qualified teachers." (Statesman)

While the state Lege dithers on a possible special session regarding public education (and how to pay for it), at least our city is taking some initiative in realizing this is an issue and working towards a solution.

*image from flickr*